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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — steady
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — tied together
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. firm — a company
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — decided
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com